Hypochondriacal Henry Woodhouse has one criticism of his daughter Emma’s drawing of her friend Harriet Smith:
“It is very pretty,” said Mr. Woodhouse. “So prettily done! Just as your drawings always are, my dear. I do not know any body who draws so well as you do. The only thing I do not thoroughly like is, that she seems to be sitting out of doors, with only a little shawl over her shoulders — and it makes one think she must catch cold.”Today is the first day of summer. Break out your shawls.
“But, my dear papa, it is supposed to be summer; a warm day in summer. Look at the tree.”
“But it is never safe to sit out of doors, my dear.”
Jane Austen, Emma (1816).
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comments: 5
Are you sure that's Jane Austen?
I only saw one semicolon.
Cheers!
JzB
Well, it's true that it is not safe to sit outside today. Because it is 90-trillion degrees! and windy, which helps increase the dehydration factor! And sunny, so you can burn to a crisp before you can say, 'Jack Robinson.'
And a shawl...well, heat stroke is a quick way to go, I guess.
JzB, yep, it’s Austen. Many of her semicolons were the work of an editor.
Elaine, it was 93° when I was out earlier this afternoon, with what felt like no humidity. Just ovenish.
On this the first day of summer, the high in Oslo will be 70°F, the warmest day since mid-May. And then the low 60s return for the weekend...
That’s the kind of summer I can get behind.
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